17 - Early Social Reformers

Welcome to our lesson on early social reformers. Today, we explore the efforts of Jacob Riis, Jane Addams, Charles Abrams, Catherine Bauer Wurster, and Henry George, who addressed urban challenges in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Jacob Riis used photography to expose tenement conditions, leading to housing reforms. Jane Addams founded Hull House in Chicago, offering social services and advocating for labor laws and women's suffrage. Charles Abrams critiqued discriminatory housing practices and helped shape public housing policy. Catherine Bauer Wurster advocated for affordable housing and influenced the United States Housing Act of 1937. Henry George promoted land value taxation to reduce inequality. These reformers laid the foundation for modern urban planning focused on social justice and community well-being.